The Gypsy's Curse
by Summer Flare1
Summary: What happens when a gypsy woman confronts the once evil man who killed her son? Seifer and Quistis are going to soon find out. Quiefer, by the by. Chapter 11 is up! Romance is here...sorta. and rr please.
1. Default Chapter

Here we go, the latest from yours truly.Me! This is a definite Quiefer, so if you don't like those.Read and review anyway, okay? By the by, I do not own ffviii, Squaresoft does though.God I wish I owned Squaresoft.Oh the will. Enjoy!  
  
The Gypsy's Curse  
  
Chapter 1: It All Begins Now  
"Breath. Think. Keep the blood pulsating in your veins, and don't let it ever stop. Don't cry tonight, it would make things just way to hard. Don't let the tears blind and burn you eyes, your tragically beautiful eyes. Don't blame yourself for the past, even if you deserve the blame. Don't look at the world around you, whatever you do, for the world will forsake you, and exact revenge. The world is cruel, and unforgiving, much like the people. Don't move, never move, then you will be conspicuous, if you move they will see you. They will see the real you, not the façade, not the masquerade that is your life. They will see that incoherent, confused, lost, fragile little boy, unable to escape the depths of his own soul. Remember the important things, nothing else, because then you will live, then you can stay in a state of truth. Think. Make sure you wake up after slumber. Breath."  
  
"It isn't fair," he whispered gently.  
  
"Of course it isn't."  
  
"What did I do?"  
  
"You were there, it was easy," the quickness of the comment was  
  
sickening, almost like she had known all along.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Don't sound do hurt, it was inevitable."  
  
"You lied to me," his voice began to rise.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You looked me in the eye and lied to me," again his voice rose.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How could you do that to me?" this time he was nearly shouting.  
  
"You really are a stupid little boy," the woman sighed, she was bored with him, and yet she enjoyed his innocence.  
  
"I am not a stupid little boy," he said in a barely audible voice this time, but she ignored him and gave a little chuckle  
  
"And now you are mine, forever," again she chuckled dully, as if this sort of thing occurred frequently.  
  
"I will never be yours," now the malice was radiating from him, for he had never been used like this in his life.  
  
"Is that so?" she slowly arose from where she was sitting and every so gradually she made her way towards him. The room was dark, and the only thing he could see was her outline. He didn't know why, but he was petrified, petrified to see her face. It was almost s mystery as to what she looked like, but he had seen her many times before. Still, he did not answer, but instinctively moved back. "Don't run away from me," she commanded and he obeyed, for some unknown reason he just stopped at her words.  
  
"Leave me alone," the fear was now in his voice, and she seemed to enjoy it. She took a long breath as if she were breathing in the intoxicating aroma of his trepidation. But she continued towards him, her step never wavering.  
  
"You see, you can never escape me, for you have pledged you soul to me, my dearest knight, you belong to me," the sharpness of her words frightened him even more. Was it that she was right which was terrifying him so, or the fact that he was trying to run but could not move?  
  
"Let me go," he demanded, though it sounded more like a plea.  
  
"Let you go? Your dead me dear, there is no where to go to," she was patronizing him, and still moving closer still.  
  
"I'm not dead!" his voice echoes off of the walls which were not there.  
  
"You will be soon enough, how long do you think you will survive? You have no way to sustain your pathetic life," she paused, "No. You are still, mine. You killed for me, don't you remember? And you liked it, you loved it. The smell of young blood, the adrenaline, the fact that you didn't care one bit."  
  
"No, you made me do those things." he was no struggling to move, he needed to get away. Now she was only three feet in front of him, and she stopped, one more step and her face would be revealed. He wanted to scream, to shout out for help, but nobody was there to help him.  
  
"I just gave you a push, you wanted it."  
  
"You're lying!" he clasped his hands over his head, trying to block out her words, but to no avail.  
  
"You will do my bidding, because your soul belongs to me, my dear knight, and when the time is right, you'll strike for me; you'll attack for me; you'll kill for me."  
  
She stepped into his view, causing him to gasp, as he saw the face, the hideous face. It wasn't a monster though; it was a shadow of a woman, obscured through time and deformation. She was old, but ever so young and her face was one of acid, unidentifiable, and yet he knew who she was. Her life had ended, but she still possessed a power of him, one which he could not take back. Looking into the empty sockets where eyes should be he saw an evil, and with the peeling flesh from her bones, and the frail state of being she was in, she would kill him.But first she would use him, this he now knew, and he could not escape her control, he was too weak.  
  
"Please leave me alone," he was trying to hold back sobs, for the realization of his loss of humanity to this thing was unbearable.  
  
"You will never be alone, I will always be with you, waiting for the right time. Until that time, remember I will be with you," she extended a bony decaying finger towards him, and he struggled desperately to move, but he couldn't. "Remember, your dead."  
  
"Leave me alone!" he repeated, as a sphere of red light formed at her finger tip, he truly was dead. The light came shooting out, rushing towards him, and finally it sunk into his flesh, right into his heart. Strangely, he felt nothing..  
Seifer awoke with a start; he had had another dream about that demon that had possessed him. He swiped his hand over his face, noticing the sweat the dream had caused. Surely he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, and it was just as well, he honestly didn't want to sleep after that. Something about the dream, it had seemed so real, more so than reality did at times.He decided to push the thought out of his head, he was sure it was just a perk of possession. Looking at his alarm clock, he discovered that he had an hour until he usually woke up, and decided to get an early start on the day.  
  
Slowly he rolled off his bed, and stumbled around for the light switch. He usually got up at the crack of dawn anyway, so technically it was still night. It had some positive aspects though; he was able to take a forty five minute shower, surely leaving everyone else in the cold. He had thought it was funny. Seifer then got dressed in his normal attire, sleeveless vest shirt, trench coat, and black pants, and of course the Hyperion. Giving one final look in the mirror, he left his dormitory and entered the heart of the garden.  
  
Seifer considered himself an extremely lucky, and unlucky man. Lucky because he was, with help from a few, he was accepted back into the Garden. He was unlucky because he had to be possessed, a murderer, and a traitor in order to be kicked out in the first place. It seemed that nothing good had come from anything in his life as of late, with every extreme down, there was a small up, which brings him back to the middle. There wasn't a relief on the world when they found out he hadn't been in control, in fact it was as if the hatred towards him had grown.  
  
People had started emerging from their dorms, few, but some looked panicky, and Seifer couldn't understand why. He shook off their expressions and just figured that they were afraid of him. It was then that he remembered something to indeed be panicky about; the field test. This was his final chance to become a Seed, and he had completely forgotten. In truth, Seifer could have passed the damn thing in his sleep a year ago, but he had an ego the size of Esthar. While the thought of the test made him sick, he knew that he would pass with flying colors this time.  
  
So in the twenty something minutes before class, he grabbed a croissant from the cafeteria, and then headed toward the second floor classroom. It was empty when he arrived, with the exception of Quistis who happened to be his instructor. Apparently after saving the world all she asked for was her license back. As he entered she looked up.  
  
"Instructor," he nodded politely, and while there was a ring of cynicism in his voice, he was mostly greeting her. Since his return, he was a bit quieter around those he almost killed, to everyone else though he was still the same audacious Seifer.  
  
"Seifer," she answered in return, "Your going to try today, aren't you?"  
  
"That's the plan," he paused, "But, my dear instructor, don't I always?" it had just slipped out, he didn't mean to mock her, but it was one of those habits. She gave him a look that said "sit down and shut the hell up or else," so he complied.  
  
The six others taking the exam entered the room not to long after, so Quistis stood at her desk, and cleared her throat.  
  
"Good morning, let's get straight to business shall we?" she didn't waste any time, "Your field exam is simple, we are going to travel to Winhill to take care of a few rather pesky monsters.Well I suppose they have been more than pesky, ten people have died from them in the past month, so it actually is very important that you all perform well. There will be three teams, for the three monsters. The teams will be team A: Banks, Cane, and Bamford, team B: Vinkt, Burns, and Moore; the last team will be team C consisting of myself and Mr. Almasy due to the odd number of students testing this year. Any questions? No? Then let's get to it, the garden should be right next to the town momentarily."  
  
The flying Garden was indeed right next to the small town, so the group made there way into the main square. Strange glances followed them; the simple folk of the town were not used to people carrying weapons.  
  
"Alright, team A, head off to the east end of town, B to the west, and we will handle the south. The three monsters are supposedly in those parts of town, once the job is done, meet back here. The deadline is in one hour, so don't stock up too much, just aim to kill. Move out!" the teams scattered throughout the city. Seifer couldn't help but smile at their hurry, after all, the monsters wouldn't be going anywhere, and if they did, then the mission was corrupt, and would have to be retaken. So it was just Seifer and Quistis, walking down the wooden bridge, leading southward.  
  
"So, Instructor, may I ask you a question?" Seifer asked, trying to sound genuine. Quistis lifted a suspicious eyebrow, and then nodded. "Why did you vouch for me like you did?"  
  
"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean," a smile played upon her lips. He made a snorting sound.  
  
"Don't play stupid, when I walked back into the Garden why did you defend me?" she had been one of the only understanding people that had laid judgement on him. If there was one thing he had learned during that whole ordeal, it was that nobody could argue well against Quistis.  
  
"Did I?" the smile broadened, "I don't recall."  
  
"Okay," he too smiled, "One day I will find out."  
  
"I'm sure you will, but until then, you will just have to live with the disappointment of not knowing," they entered a more populated area of the town, and more people looked at them strangely.  
  
"Another question then?" he requested.  
  
"If I said no would that stop you?"  
  
"Nope. So why am I in a group with you, and not somebody else?" for some reason she gave him an odd look.  
  
"It's a little thing called surveillance. Squall asked me to," at her words Seifer's demeanor immediately changed into one of bitterness and resentment.  
  
"Oh yes, our fearless leader," he said sarcastically.  
  
"Like it or not Mr. Almasy, he is indeed our leader, and considering that your passing this test depends on his word, I would be careful with what you say," she warned in a way that only a teacher could.  
  
"So it's like that huh?"  
  
"It's like that."  
  
"Great," the resentment in his voice was caustic. Quistis gave a very load groan.  
  
"Don't you start," she glowered.  
  
"Fine, I won't."  
  
"And don't give me that tone either." she was going to continue but was cut off.  
  
"Stop acting like you're my mother."  
  
".Oh, that is so typical coming from you!" she sped up her pace.  
  
"Is it? How so?"  
  
"You're always so bitter!"  
  
"I'm bitter? Look who's talking, why I remember somebody especially ruffled when Squall and Rinoa went on a vacation together," he came back.  
  
"So were you!" she reminded him, but he just rolled his eyes. In truth he couldn't think of a good comeback, but they were interrupted anyway by a stout old woman, with long, wild, black hair held back with a scarf. She was seething in anger for some odd reason.  
  
"You!" she in an acidy voice, and extended a long finger. This reminded Seifer of the dream he had had, and was immediately caught aback.  
  
"Do I know you?" he asked meekly.  
  
"You were the one who slaughtered my son!" she claimed as her brow furrowed, "You evil son of a bitch."  
  
"Listen lady, I was pos-"  
  
"Dai cancelli di inferno, al dolore della mia anima, sente che il mio rath, basso e contempla, lei e vostro non ritornerà, la redenzione che lei non può mai guadagnare, sente il rath del mio ceppo di zingaro, per il dolore che lei sente non è una ferita, ma viene da entro...The gypsy curse is upon you!" she shouted as a large cloud of purple mist formed around Seifer, making him cough and gag. He impatiently swatted the substance away.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure it is," he coughed, " But we have work to do, so I'll just take a rain check if you don't mind," the gypsy woman just smiled and walked away, apparently very pleased with herself. "That was interesting.Come on, let's get this thing over with."  
  
The two started walking, and only two minutes late, Seifer broke out coughing again. He stopped and tried to regain his composure.  
  
"Seifer are you alright?" Quistis asked, actually quite concerned. He bent over and took a large breath of air.  
  
"Yeah I'm fine," he replied once the bout was over, "I must have had some of that dust caught in my throat or something," he started to walk again.  
  
"Are you sure you okay," she pursued the topic.  
  
"Listen, I said I was fine, why can't you just." he could not complete his sentence, for he began to cough again, but this time more violently. He put his hand on a nearby tree for balance, but the coughing wasn't stopping.  
  
"Oh my Hyne, Seifer!" she had noticed that blood had started to come from his mouth with each cough. He went to one knee, choking, and thriving in pain. Then, for Seifer, the world went black.  
Well? What do you think of my new story? Later, like the next chapter probably, it will get a little romance going, and of course it will be revealed what this mysterious cough is.That is if I don't feel like writing another cliff hanger. Mwhahahaha, I am the definition of evil, aren't I? Well, please please please review! Thanks in advance, I love you all. 


	2. Memories and Secrets

I don't own Squaresoft, I will never own Squaresoft, and one day I will probably be sued by Squaresoft. But for now, it's all good, so sit back and enjoy another installment, brought to you be Summer Flare.Who else?  
  
Chapter 2: Memories and Secrets  
  
It was dark, but he could see images vaguely walking around, apparently unable to see him. He was dreaming again. Standing up, things started to clear, but everything was dim, as if it were a foggy night in December. He wondered where he was, nothing was recognizable, everything was almost alien to him. Tall trees sailed into the heavens, letting their manes of gold and green fall into the atmosphere. He could hear children laughing and the sounds of their footsteps as they ran. That was all there was in this place, trees and laughter, was it heaven? He had always imagined a place of laughter to be his place of eternal rest.  
  
"Heaven?" a voice in his ear whispered. Then came that same laugh that he had heard before in the place of blackness. His eyes grew wide and he held in his breath, why he feared this monster so much was beyond him; he had fought more powerful larger monsters before, and he knew that this thing was so fragile that one blow would be its end. Still, he was frozen, not daring to look behind him. The breath on the back of his neck made his heart begin to beat a little faster, and his eyes to become more desperate.  
  
"How could this be heaven?" the voice asked, sliding around to his right ride, "You're not going to heaven and you know it. People like you don't go to heaven; people like you don't go to hell. They go into the darkness to be eternally alone; this is where you will go, and where you will lose your soul to the darkness."  
  
"So where am I?" he didn't dare comment on her comments, for he feared that she might be true.  
  
"You don't remember?" she laughed again, a soft yet menacing laugh. "That is the saddest thing I have ever heard, my dear. Look around you, are you even seeing?" suddenly the fog vanished in a gust of wind, and now he could see clearly. Two boys and a girl were running around an especially large mahogany tree trunk. They were all under eleven, if not younger, and all so happy. In the distance, he could see a log cabin with wisps of smoke emerging from the chimney. A few beams of sunlight shown through the canopy that the trees had created.  
  
"What is this?" he asked, eyes narrowing slightly; it all seemed familiar.  
  
"Just watch."  
  
And he did, he watched the children jumping as high as they could, trying to reach the leaves. The middle child was climbing the tree, and finally he reached a very tall branch, and a smile crept upon his lips, for he had done what his siblings could not. A crack shot through the air then, and all the children looked towards the cabin, being silent now. There was a scream, a female scream, and another gunshot. Above all the birds scattered from their homes, wary of the danger.  
  
"Why are they just.?"  
  
"Shh, keep watching, their uncle is approaching."  
  
A tall stout man, who carried a riffle, approached, and immediately the children ran to him.All but the boy in the tree, who was to afraid to make his downward descent. Something was terribly wrong with the uncle though, his eyes were vacant, and his mouth hung down like a zombie. This troubled the children a great deal, for the little girl started to cry, and the eldest sibling took her hand and pulled her to run, but the uncle caught her by the collar and threw her to the ground.  
  
The boy in the tree was clenching his eyes shut, tears leaking out, but he was unable to stay in that state, he had to see what was to happen. Hugging the tree branch he watched and his oldest brother shielded their sister. The uncle raised the rifle, and another shot rang throughout the forest. The sister began to cry and struggle backwards, begging to her uncle to remember her face. The boy in the tree was trying with all his will not to make a noise. Another blast. A pause. Then, another shot, the final shot sang the song of death in the forest, leaving only the little boy, still clinging to the branch, too scared to move.  
  
"What is this?!" he asked sharply to the demon behind him.  
  
"Don't you recognize it? Compare you frozen state to the boy's, do you not see the resemblance? He has fair golden hair, and the most strangest of sea green eyes.That's why I did it I suppose, your eyes, your eyes that told stories of bravery, valor, and an unspeakable fire. I knew that this would only bring that fire to a roaring torrent of inferno of hate and mistrust, all which I could use."  
  
His heart seemed to stop at that moment, he has witnessed his families slaughter, all caused by her. Tears began to weld up in his eyes as the repressed memories began to resurface. He had never thought for an instant about his family, why he was an orphan, he must have blocked it out. Fury began to rage within his heart, and he began to shake.  
  
"I can still use you, and I will.I have watched your life unfold, my dear, I have protected you, and I have created misery for you, all so you would be strong enough for my wishes."  
  
"I will not be used again," he shuddered at the tone of his voice; it looked like the monster had accomplished her goal, for he had never felt hatred like he felt at that moment.  
  
"And what will you do, my dear, dear boy?" she asked sounding quite amused.  
  
"I will kill you," it wasn't a simple statement to her; it was a promise to himself.  
  
"And how will you do that? You can't kill the dead.."  
Seifer awoke in a soft bed, light shining through an unfamiliar window. He had only been dreaming, and yet it had seemed so real, but as soon as his eyes opened, the dream began to slip into only vague memories.  
  
"Seifer!" he heard from his left. Almost immediately he recognized the voice as his Instructor. Slowly he sat up, and swung his legs over the bed. He couldn't help smile at the look of deep concern on her face.  
  
"What happened?" he questioned groggily, running a hand through his hair.  
  
"That woman must have put some sort of spell on you, a real spell." she got up and started walking towards the window, "You started coughing blood, remember? And then you just passed out.I was so scared for you, I thought that." she stopped at the window and turned her head in his direction. The sun hit her eyes, making them look electric blue, just like the most crystal water on the most beautiful beach. He had never her seen her like that.  
  
"I was dead?" he completed her sentence and sighed, "No, it wasn't a spell, it wasn't magic at all."  
  
"What?" her brows came together in a confused manner, "If it wasn't a spell, then why did that happen Seifer?"  
  
"My secret is out I guess," he slowly stood up and walked towards her, "You want to know the real reason I let myself be controlled by Edea.Or should I say Ultimecia? She said she would cure me."  
  
"Cure you," she turned her body in towards him.  
  
"In reality she had no intention of helping me, just using me," the words touched a chord in him, and a sudden realization dawned on him, "She was using me from day one."  
  
"Seifer I don't understand."  
  
"Okay, maybe this will help," he carefully took off his trench coat, and pulled from a pocket a syringe and bit down on its glass. He the took off his vest, exposing his well formed upper body, and seized the syringe from his mouth, and ever so carefully enter the syringe into his flesh, right between two of his ribs. He took out the needle, wincing a little, then he threw it into a corner resentfully.  
  
"Your sick," she said quietly, "How sick?" he didn't answer. "Give me a call in the morning sick?" he shook his head. "Stay off your feet for a few says kind of sick?" he again shook his head. "This will be the last type of sick you ever get?" he lowered his head and looked at her.  
  
"I believed in what she said, that she would save me, but it is just as good as over," he whispered. Seifer expected her to clear her throat and say something unsympathetic like 'I see,' but she took him by surprise. Quistis came very close to him, and embraced him silently."  
The end to the second chapter, so come on, tell me what you think!! I'll give you this about chapter three: maybe the sickness wasn't his curse, but there definitely is a curse. So, I look forward to all your reviews! Thanks in advance. 


	3. Arguements are Fun!

Chapter 3 is up!! Or is it 4? Whatever, I don't own these characters, squaresoft does, you get the jazz. R/r when you're done, thanks in advance!  
  
Chapter 3: Arguments are Fun!  
  
He was uncomfortable; it was an unusual situation for him to be in. Never had anyone dared show him affection of any kind, not Seifer Almasy. Of course, this wasn't affection, he supposed, no, it was pity, and that was an unacceptable emotion to show him. It is a horrid feeling, pity, to feel sorry for somebody else, to act quite differently towards them. It made him angry, but he subdued the anger, this wasn't the time or place. He tried to embrace her back, but it was barely unnoticeable.  
  
"Don't feel sorry for me," he whispered in her ear, breathing in her scent, which was so familiar; it was like mountain air tainted with the fragrance of wildflowers.It was so familiar.  
  
"What exactly is it?" she asked ignoring his last comment. He broke the hug, and looked at her and contemplated the words he was choosing.  
  
"It's a blood thing," he started. "I don't know how but a chemical got into my blood called Gysarium, and it is basically shutting down my body."  
  
"That sort of thing sounds." he cut her off.  
  
"Incurable, I know," he sighed as he spoke, "I'm over it."  
  
"Actually, I was going to say that it sounded extremely painful," she turned around, but whipped around, "And you're not over it."  
  
"Excuse me?" he crossed his arms over his still naked chest, which accentuated his well managed muscles.  
  
"You don't get over something like that," she too crossed her arms.  
  
"If you say so lady," he didn't feel much like arguing with her at the moment, his head stung like you wouldn't believe. Seifer only then realized that they were in a house, "Where exactly are we?"  
  
"A villager's house, they were gracious enough to let us use it while they went out," she informed him offhandedly, "So how long do you." she didn't want to ask, but she had to know.  
  
"People these days are so trusting," he dodged the question; it was one thing he would rather not discuss. Quistis glared at him slightly.  
  
"Don't ignore my question."  
  
"Listen," he stormed over to the bed, his temper was getting the best of him. Seifer grabbed his vest and put it on while speaking. "That is none of your business, and won't be, so lay off!"  
  
"I have a right to know," she shot back; "I did save your life after all," he snorted at this statement.  
  
"You brought me to a house Quistis, which hardly qualifies as saving my life," he grabbed his coat.  
  
"You are so audacious!" she said in frustration. He threw down his coat back onto the bed.  
  
"I'm the audacious one?! You're the one noising into people's personal lives, not me," he walked toward her a little bit.  
  
"Excuse me for caring!"  
  
"Fine," he stared to walk out the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" she called.  
  
"I'm excusing you," he opened the door, and she quickly walked out after him. What happened next was a bit of a mystery, for they found themselves still in Winhill, but it was quite different.  
  
"What the hell?" Seifer looked at her confusedly. She then looked down at herself and found that her clothing had changed. She was now wearing black pants, and a blue sleeveless turtleneck. Seifer's clothes had changed too, but not as much. His pants were now blue denim, and his vest was still a vest, but it was now plain black with gold lining.  
  
"This isn't possible," she whispered to herself in disbelief. Seifer went to put a hand on his gunblade, but found that it was no longer there. It was then, in her frantic looking she saw something, or somebody rather that she recognized; Laguna Loire. Not President Laguna Loire, but the young writer Laguna Loire.  
  
"What is this," Seifer growled. Quistis quickly pulled him back inside.  
  
"Seifer.Just now I saw," she paused as the pieces started to come together, "I think we are in the past."  
  
"The past? How would that be possible, Time Compression is the only way of time travel, and time is definitely not compressed," he said shortly.  
  
"Maybe magic," she started, "No, who has magic that powerful?"  
  
Seifer went and sat down on a chair dumbfounded, in realization, he stroked his golden hair.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"The gypsy's curse," he breathed.  
Well? r/r or else!!! Mwahahaha.Okay I'm done. 


	4. Truth

Okay this should be answer to some of the unexplained things from the other chapters. It will get more into it so don't worry. I do not own ffviii, Squaresoft does yatta yatta yatta. R/r when your done please!  
  
Chapter 4: Truth  
  
It took a moment for his words to register in her mind. The gypsy? Quistis had honestly thought in to be nothing but a sham, some sort of joke. There was no way that she was a gypsy. What if it was true though? She had heard rumors of gypsy magic, but she had never thought they could be true. It was said that gypsy's had magic far more powerful than a sorceress.Considering that the gypsy, if she was one, could send them back in time, and the sorceress couldn't, what did that say about the difference in power?  
  
"Seifer, think logically," she started, "She couldn't have been a gypsy, we would have known."  
  
"How would we have known?" he asked rather sharply, "Do you remember what she looks like?"  
  
"Well," she had to think about it, "She was short and had dark hair."  
  
"Details," he interrupted.  
  
"She." Quistis than realized that she had no recollection of what the woman had looked like beyond that.  
  
"She wore a bandana," he stated, "Loose clothing, large gold earrings, and a lot of turquoise."  
  
"What does that prove?" she placed her hand on her hips.  
  
"When I was.Well you know, I learned how to see people," this statement immediately brought confusion to Quistis.  
  
"See people?"  
  
"Powerful people I guess," he looked upward as if he was trying to remember something, "They shield themselves, but being around magic like that for so long I was able to see through the shield."  
  
"So you saw her, big deal, what makes you so sure that she was a gypsy?"  
  
"Her eyes," he said distantly, "they were violet.Who has violet eyes that we know Quistis?"  
  
"I'm not sure," usually she didn't pay very close attention to these things.  
  
"She did," he gave her a look.  
  
"Oh," she understood now, Ultimecia had had violet eyes, but did that prove anything?  
  
"Now the question is why were we sent back in time? There are a million other things she could have done," he put his hands over his eyes. Seifer was suddenly feeling incredibly tired. He figured that his meds were kicking in, after all one of the ingredients was anesthesia. Quistis didn't reply, for she had no clue as to why anyone would send them back to this of all times. There was a silence in the room.  
  
"I have just realized something," Quistis said while looking around the room.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The house hasn't changed."  
  
"What do you mean?" he too looked around but there wasn't much to be changed.  
  
"Well when we walked out, our clothes changed," she said slowly, "But look on the bed," he did and then noticed it too, "Your coat is still there."  
  
"But what does it mean?" he questioned frustratingly.  
  
"I'm not sure maybe." she stopped and looked at him with furrowed brows, "Are you okay?"  
  
"What? Oh yeah I'm fine," he lied; he didn't want to cause a fuss.  
  
"Because you don't look to good, are you going to start coughing again?" as soon as the words left her mouth she had known that it was one of the most stupid things to say, but he didn't call her on it.  
  
"No, I'm just tired, that injection is starting to wear me out," as he spoke, it was like he wasn't even there. Quistis, being an Instructor, had seen her share of wounded people on medicine, rather than magic, but never had they acted like this. His face had become emotionless, and his voice had become almost monotone. Seifer's whole demeanor had become lifeless.  
  
"Maybe you should get to sleep."  
  
"No, I'm fine," he regained his composure, trying not show weakness.  
  
"I really think you shouldn't fight it," she new that it would eventually overcome him.  
  
"No," his voice was sharp and commanding, "I'll be fine."  
  
"Oh this is so ridiculous," she sighed, "I'm sorry."  
  
"You should be," he said coldly, becoming glazed over once more.  
  
"No, not for what I said, but for this; Sleep," a green mist surrounded him, and he could not fight off the magic. His body gave in, and later she knew that he would be grateful to her. For now she was grateful that she still had all her magic. It was all too suspicious though, the gypsy brought them back in time, into a non-changing house, and let them keep their magic.It was too unusual, just to strange.  
"Poor dear," she said in a tone of fake sympathy from behind him. He was in a wooded area in a clearing. Several large tents were set up, all surrounding a circular area with a fire blazing in the center. This time the picture was clear, no fog at all, which frightened him. He did not want to see that face again, that hideous, shadow of a living thing. The soulless monster that lived in the confines of his memory.  
  
"Poor, ignorant child," she laughed, she always laughed, was she hiding her true demonic qualities? Or did she just do it to remind him of the power that she held over him? This needed to end; this needed to end right now. Seifer didn't want to live in fear of closing his eyes, he didn't want to be manipulated again by something he wasn't even sure was there. The rage overcame him, spread throughout his whole being. Quickly he moved for his Hyperion, which was now there with him. He turned around and charged, eyes closed for fear of the being that he was now facing.  
  
"Why are you doing this?!!" he shouted as he struck, only to find nothing, which is what he had suspected in the first place. Seifer had a habit of letting his action come first. Sharply he opened his eyes and surveyed the area. In a flash the monster was ten feet away.  
  
"You betrayed me," he had thought that she had seen the worst of this thing, but he was wrong. In broad daylight the appearance was accentuated. Her hair, once silver was now shriveled and matted with dirt; her skin was decaying around her empty sockets of eyes, and her lips were simply not there, but she had fangs, long jagged fangs. Where her arms should have been were burned limbs without hands, but just black vapor energy that seemed to be sucking in the world around her. The rest of her body was much the same. She should be dead, it just seemed impossible for her to sustain life.  
  
"What are you talking about?!! You betrayed me remember?!" he shouted at her, as he started to back away, still gripping his gunblade for dear life.  
  
"You keep your excuses.But I would watch and listen very carefully to the people of this camp," she sounded bitter, almost defeated, but not quite. Seifer decided not to answer, but to do what she said.  
  
A woman was walking into the camp from the woods, Seifer immediately recognized her as the gypsy woman. A man, about twenty five, came out to greet her. He was tall and had an olive complexion, she embraced him quickly; Seifer figured that they must be family, for they had an uncanny resemblance.  
  
"What happened in the village aunt?" asked the young man as they sat on nearby rocks.  
  
"I confronted him," she said solidly, "And I gave him what he deserved."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"I sent him into the past, nineteen years ago to be exact," at her words the man stood up in an angry frenzy.  
  
"You did what?!!" he screamed at her, "What good will that do? What kind of revenge is that?! Nothing can come from this!!"  
  
"Silence!" she bellowed, and the young man backed away, knowing that he had gone to far, "There is a reason, my foolhardy nephew; the wolf's emotions will get the best of him in time, and once he does, all of that will be taken away," the man broke into a smile as he realized the point; Seifer wished he understood.  
  
"I see now," the nephew said slowly. Suddenly the gypsy woman looked right at them, "What is it?"  
  
"We are being watched" she said in a low tone. The man looked at them too, but saw nothing. "They are shielded, but not from me, and she knows it.Good, but may I warn the one watching, it would be best to never spy on one who can see through your defenses.è andato!"  
  
The scenery then faded away, and they were in that dark place again, and he could no longer see the demon. It was a relief and a troubling change, for he could no longer see the monstrosity, but he also couldn't see her actions.  
  
"Stupid woman," she whispered more to herself than Seifer.  
  
"What did I just see?" he demanded sternly, but she just laughed again.  
  
"You don't understand do you?" she paused and sighed, "My dear ignorant boy, what sustains your life?" he didn't answer, "Maybe the more proper question would be what stops you from living?"  
  
"Stop avoiding the truth!" he shouted as his eyes darted around the darkness.  
  
"I promised you the impossible, and you believed it," obviously she enjoyed making him feel inferior, for she ignored the request. Seifer realized that she was talking about his disease, but he still didn't understand.  
  
"You used me," he had begun to have de je vu.  
  
"But you found treatment," she said as if she had done nothing wrong, "It may not cure you, but it keeps you from death."  
  
"What are you getting at?" he whispered getting more and more suspicious.  
  
"I just think it lucky that Dr. Odine invented this medicine six years ago."  
  
"Six years." his voice trailed off as the truth became evident, "Then I'm."  
  
"Yes!" she began to laugh again, more manically, and more truly than he had ever heard. She enjoyed to feed off his pain she enjoyed it more than being alive.  
  
"No.No!!" he began to swing at the air in a tragic last resort as he fought off the tears. This meant that he would die slow and painfully within months, perhaps only weeks. Seifer was not ready for it, he was too young, and had to much to make up to the world. He needed to redeem himself.  
  
Suddenly he felt himself being shaken by an invisible force.  
"Seifer!" a worried voice sounded stridently. His eyes opened slowly, and he took a long breath. The lights had been turned on, meaning that it must be nightfall. "Are you alright? You were crying, and talking in your sleep."  
  
"I'm going to die Quistis," he said, voice trembling, on the verge of more tears. He raised his head from the table, which he hadn't been moved from.  
  
"Don't be silly." he cut her off.  
  
"The medicine wont be made for another 16 years," he in a low voice, "Quistis, I don't want to die."  
Another cliffhanger, I know I'm so mean! Hopefully this addressed the whole not describing the gypsy thing, and touched upon the whole Seifer being so calm about the illness thing. So r/r, and thanks in advance. 


	5. The Young Die Old

I just wanted to write, so it is short and sucks, but I feel it is a nice little reflection type chapter. I don't own ffviii Squaresoft does. R/r when your done please, and thanks in advance.  
  
Chapter 5: The Young Die Old  
  
He took a deep breath, which burned his lungs fiercely, quickly he closed his eyes. In a second's time, he was lost in his own mind, the questions were endless. He wanted to cry, he wanted to wake up from this nightmare that was his life. No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn't wake up; he was stuck in a world constantly feeling pleasure in his pain. Seifer did not want to leave.Not yet, he wasn't ready, but he knew it was only a matter of time. Dying in battle was one thing, but becoming weak to the point of not being able to walk twenty steps, was a horrible fate for a warrior such as himself. He started to feel the pain welling up inside him, clenching his heart, and ripping it to pieces. Was it his time already? Many times he had given up the will to live, but now it wasn't a matter of giving up, it was an eventuality.  
  
In slow motion, it seemed, he looked at her, into her deep icy blue eyes, wondering if he was being punished for dragging her down with him. There was something there, though, in her eyes, something he hadn't seen in a long time: compassion, caring, in a troubled way. Her face was confused, but he didn't need to explain it to her, for the moment he spoke, she had understood. Quistis didn't know how the answer had come to her, but it had, and she too was feeling the jagged stab at her heart. No, it wasn't his time, he was too young.As she looked at him, she saw something in his sea green eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time: helplessness, innocence, a lost soul. What could she do? Her heart ached for him. She leaned over and embraced him once more, but more than she had earlier somehow.  
  
"Don't let it beat you," she whispered, feeling him fight the sobs from breaking into audible noises. His eyes were watering, now that she couldn't see his face.  
  
"It's over," he said hoarsely into her shoulder. Quistis put her hand to his head and felt his soft golden hair through her fingers.  
  
"It isn't over," she too was over come with emotion, and she didn't know why. She had fought both with and against Seifer, seen him through his best and worst times, she knew him better than most would even think about. It wasn't fair.  
  
"What am I going to do," he asked more to himself than her.  
  
"Believe that it can't hurt you. You do not deserve this," she swallowed, holding back her own cries, "You haven't had one good day of your life in ten years. You grew up to fast, you were never innocent."  
  
"Is this my punishment," he asked letting his cries escape for two seconds following.  
  
"No, this is where you get your life back, from all the evils that took control," she was crying now, "This is where you give yourself time."  
  
"I don't have time anymore," he closed his eyes tightly.  
  
"You have nothing but time," she was trying to make him feel better, the way a parent would tell the child that their pet went up to heaven when a goldfish died, "We have no responsibilities now, we aren't home anymore, this isn't a prison, this is a new life."  
  
"Is it really that simple," he was regaining his self control, as was she.  
  
"It can be," Quistis broke the embrace and looked at him, a mere shell of his former being. Seifer whipped his eyes and sniffled a little.  
  
"I thought." he paused unsure whether to confide in her, "I thought I had accepted my fate.I thought that I was over it. I figured that I had a few years left, that was enough for me.But now my life is unfinished.I was ready to die, Quistis, just not so soon."  
  
"You won't die," she said quietly yet firmly, "Just believe that you are stronger."  
  
"I don't think I can," he looked down in shame.  
  
"Then it is over," Quistis paused again, "I remember when we were children in the orphanage, everyone was afraid to go to the top of the lighthouse, do you remember that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"One day you went up though, to the very top, and when you came down and I asked you how and why you were able to do it you said, 'because I knew I could,' why can't you do that now?"  
  
"How do you remember that," he said absentmindedly.  
  
"I remember very little, but I do remember that experience," she wiped her eyes unsure of the tears, "And then you took me up there, and said 'we did it beca.."  
  
"Cause we can." he finished her sentence, "that was week before I left for the Garden.I was the first to go."  
  
"Then I came a few months later, and we were so cut off from the world, and from what had happened in our own experiences that we were just familiar faces to each other."  
  
"Were we ever young?" he questioned, leaning his elbows on his knees. She shook her head a little.  
  
"Maybe, a very long time ago.Before the young died old."  
A short chapter, get over it and r/r, thanks! 


	6. Fate is an Unkind Mistress

Finally I updated! God it took forever to get this chapter right, so appreciate it lol. Okay you know the drill, I do not in any way own these characters, Squaresoft does. So r/r and enjoy!  
  
Chapter 6: Fate is an Unkind Mistress  
  
How can one express emotion when they are so drowned by sorrow that they feel nothing else? How can one run, when both legs are broken? How can one breath, if they can't remember how to? Helplessness; is it a feeling or a state of being? When the world is turbulent around you, but you cannot run to safety. Being caught in the storm isn't frightening; it is the state of helplessness, whether the storm is literal, or internal. The winds blow throughout the night, and the thunder sounds in the distance as the lightning illuminates the sky for but a moment. The rain falls on you like needles, small, sharp, and accurate in their decent from heaven. Heaven.Is there such a place? Or do we die and sleep forever under the earth which produced us in the beginning? Perhaps only one who knows death considers these elements, or perhaps they can simply understand it more because they are so close to it.  
  
The silence between them was deafening; perhaps they were both in deep thought, perhaps neither knew what to say. For sure, though, they both wanted to say so much, but couldn't bear it. It had been a long and short day, all at the same time, it was quite unusual. So much had happened in the littlest bit of time, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Finally Seifer spoke.  
  
"What do we do now?" he asked quietly, still not himself, but regaining something that resembled his attributes.  
  
"Well," she took a long breath, trying to plot everything out in her mind, "What can we do? Investigate the town, talk to people, but what do you really think we'll find?"  
  
"Yeah," Seifer seemed to be in shock almost of his situation, and he had a right to be.  
  
"Maybe we should just wait until morning to figure things out," Quistis was known for her keen observations, and did not want to put any more stress on Seifer.  
  
And with that, both retired into sleep, neither said much before hand, everything needed to sink in. Quistis decided to take the downstairs bed, while Seifer took the upstairs room. In a way, they both had gained a higher sense of respect for each other.  
  
It all seemed to make sense now to Quistis, all of it; his trouble making, his failures, everything negative that he produced. It wasn't to be heartless, and callous, it was just that he had no reason to get close to anybody, because he knew that he would have to leave them eventually. In her mind, it took a strong person to isolate themselves like that, and yet be so conspicuous. She had always wondered why he had such few friends, and why he was never in a relationship. He had sacrificed so much, as to not to hurt others.And in the process, he ended up hurting so many. Of course, she can't say that she wouldn't do the exact same thing, if it meant living. That was the thing that bothered her though, she knows that she isn't as strong as Seifer, no way no how, and yet he fell pray.How easy would it be for evil to take a hold of her? It frightened her somewhat.  
  
Seifer also found respect, towards Quistis; he felt so stupid for breaking down the way he did. If there was one thing he hated, it was letting somebody see his weak side. She had not criticized, though, she had just been there, and understood. Nobody had acted like that towards him in a very long time, he had almost forgotten what it was like.All he knew, is that she wasn't his instructor tonight, she was Quistis, just Quistis.  
  
With all internal thoughts drifting away in Quistis' sleep, Seifer lay awake, afraid of what waits for him in unconsciousness. Now he knew that those dreams weren't just dreams, they were real, not a haunting memory, something far more terrible. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her, and the pictures were getting clearer and clearer all the time. Yet he was so tired, so very tired, sleep was so inviting, so welcome.But no! He didn't dare sleep, not while the threat was still apparent. Perhaps he would close his eyes for a moment, to give the illusion of rest, yes, that would be alright.  
He cursed himself; he was a complete imbecile, why hadn't he listened to himself? He was back in the dark.Only, it was different this time, perhaps it was something in the air, but something was indeed different. Was it just his imagination or was the dark void tinted with crimson? He didn't like it, not one bit, not that he liked it in the first place, but this time he felt.Hatred? Dizziness was fluttering upon him, it was a strange and yet familiar feeling, but he couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
"Do you know what today is?" she asked quietly, differently, "Today is the day I take back the world."  
  
"It won't happen," he almost laughed at the thought, but she just sighed, tiredly.  
  
"You know I'm not dead, don't you?" he voice raised in energy, "The living heal, regain strength."  
  
"It isn't possible," he shuddered at the thought of her returning to power in the future, "No, you are dead.You're a ghost."  
  
"You really think that I wasn't told of my defeat before hand? Of course I knew how could I not? I may live thousands of years in the future, but history does not change.So I faked my death, to protect myself like you could not."  
  
"Bull shit," he growled bitterly, and she just ignored him.  
  
"Do not fret my dear knight, for tonight you redeem yourself," a red light began to glow in the distance, "I have enough power for you."  
  
"What are you talking about? I will not help you again!" he shouted in anger, his paranoia consuming him.  
  
"I know that, so I will do with you, what I had done in the past, towards the end of our relationship," his face paled at her words, she wouldn't dare. No, no, no not again, he had vowed that he wouldn't be used like that ever again.  
  
"Stay away from me!" he warned, though frozen in place. She laughed, she was always laughing, that horrible never ending cackle.  
  
"What are you going to do about it?" she asked coldly, "You have your mission now, and you will fulfill it by morning breaks in the pathetic little town of Winhil."  
  
"No!!!" his voice was almost pleading, "Leave me alone, dear Hyne, Leave me alone!!!" the red sphere of red light grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger still until he was blinded, and numbed by this evil light of hatred. Then, everything was blank.  
Seifer awoke in the morning, with the sun shining in through a nearby window, burning his eyes with its golden rays. He sighed in relief.Maybe this time it was just a dream, after all, he didn't wake up the whole night before. Still, he felt restless; nightmares tend to do that to a person. In fact, it was as if he had been awake all night.  
  
"I gotta do something about that," he mumbled to himself. He raised hands to rub his sleepy face, but stopped inches from it in horror. For on his hands was blood, crimson red blood. Seifer shot up like a bullet and looked around him, no sign of struggle, no visible reason for the blood, and yet it was definitely not his own. He rushed to the bathroom and started scrubbing his hands, which weren't entirely cured by the scalding water, but it would have to do. But what would he tell Quistis, the truth? No, no he would not tell her a thing; it was probably nothing.Nothing?! What was he thinking? A person doesn't just wake up with blood on their hands!  
  
He lowered his head in confusion and shame, for whatever he had done during the night. The dream wasn't a nightmare apparently, it was a treacherous reality.  
Well? Took a while, I know, it is just that I have so many ideas for this story, I just don't want to rush anything. I am trying to get to the romance, but I really don't want to make it a spur of the moment rushed romance. So r/r, and I'll explain some stuff in the next chapter, k? Thanks in advance! 


	7. The God of Light

Okay, it took a while but chapter 7 is here, and we get to learn about the Hyperions origins! If there is any grammatical problems I apologize, I am exhausted. So I don't own ffviii, Squaresoft does, the lucky bastards. R/r or else, and enjoy!  
Chapter 7: The God of Light  
He made his decent downward to the first floor, of the quaint house. It was so simple, as if everyone who lived there was carefree, and almost dull. He stopped three steps from the bottom, and sighed, his mind full of worry, his heart full of sorrow due to his new web of lies that he was about to weave. She was already there, sitting at the table, still in the black pants and light blue sleeveless turtle neck, hair in her normal style. Quistis did not meet his eyes; it brought her too much pain, and discomfort. Seifer sat across from her and just stared at her face, so determined not to look into his. She broke the silence.  
  
"Seifer." he cut her off at that.  
  
"Forget it," he said quickly, "I just don't want to think about it, okay? No discussion, none of that shit, let's just concentrate on getting back home, then I can get more of the medicine, and everything will be okay again."  
  
"I was just going to say good morning," she smiled, of course she wasn't actually going to say that, but she figured he could do with a bit of humor. He gave a chuckle, and looked through the window, by the front door. A few soldiers talking with the townspeople, but it didn't look hostile in any way. It was quite odd, most of the time military people kept to themselves, but they were so friendly with the people. The birds were singing, the air was fresh with spring flowers blossoming under the reborn sun.I was different, but nice.  
  
"Well, not to rush things, but shall we go investigate?" he acted almost happy, and cheerful, but to himself, he was transparent, and obviously hiding something. Quistis thought nothing of it.  
  
"Sure," she rose, as did Seifer, and they exited the house, into the hubbub of small town life. There new home was situated, ironically, right next to Raine's pub, which was busy and had people bustling in and out of it. This was not the scene Quistis had ever witnessed in her magical flashbacks.  
  
"Where should we start you think?" he asked putting his hands in his back pockets considering he now had no gunblade to grip. Seifer looked over at Quistis, who looked lost in thought, as if she were trying to remember something.  
  
"Laguna wouldn't know anything, neither would Raine.Hyne I know that I am forgetting something, but what?" she took a few steps forward and looked all around the main square, "Stupid GF's."  
  
"The whole memory thing?"  
  
"How d o you know about that?" she asked breaking away from her train of thought. They had gotten so caught up in their experience with time compression and the sorceress that they completely forgot about the memory loss cause by the GF's, which in a way is ironic. He shrugged.  
  
"It wasn't terribly hard to figure it out," he smirked, "I have an excellent memory, and when I started using the GFs, I forgot the simplest things. That is why I don't like using them, it isn't worth it to forget something important," he looked down in with a dark look, for he had forgotten all last night, and he knew he had been awake. Quistis was just now realizing how little he did use the guardians, in fact, the only time she had seen him use one was during the SeeD test in Dollet.Her mind began to wonder; if he hadn't had the strength of that the GF provided, and nearly one all his battles against their group, then how powerful must he be in his own right? She was then distracted, though, by a concession of people wearing black walking through the square with a casket in the middle of them. It was a rather small casket, the kind that a child would receive if they passed away.  
  
"Who do you think the funeral procession is for?" he asked under his breath, afraid somebody might hear him. His heart was racing, could he have killed whoever was in that coffin?  
  
"A child," Quistis said quietly. She strode towards the group, to the only person that looked in control of their emotions in the slightest. It was a woman, about twenty eight, and rather familiar looking, frighteningly familiar. She had black curly hair hidden under a black scarf, with the most striking violet eyes.  
  
"Excuse me," Quistis said politely to the woman, who looked up sadly, "What happened?"  
  
"This morning, very early, we found her mauled in her bed, as if an animal attacked her. It was not an animal though."  
  
"It wasn't?"  
  
"No, this is the work of one of the sorceress's minions. Of course you have heard of Adel's search for a successor, but never has she killed the unworthy until now.She was only 8" she nodded to them and scampered off to rejoin the still moving death procession. Seifer's face paled in realization; he had killed the girl, it had been him, who else could have done it? And the woman that was just speaking to them must be the gypsy, only younger.  
  
"It's horrible," Quistis whispered, face turning to stone with anger and confusion. She looked at Seifer, "You okay?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he said quickly looking through her, staring off into space. In an instant he snapped out of it and became very alert and almost nervous," Hey, maybe it would be faster if we split up, you know so we could cover more ground."  
  
"Sounds like a plan, I'll head strait, you cover the far end of town alright?" she had a newfound vigor, as if by going home would avenge that little girl, or perhaps she just wanted to get out of the mournful situation.  
  
"Okay," and with that he set off to his left, leaving Quistis and the party of people in black behind him. Seifer wasn't concentrating on getting home at the moment though, he was too worried, too scared. He walked a little faster than usual, very often running a hand through his hair. Everything around him just didn't seem to exist, he was oblivious to the world around him, until he heard a voice.  
  
"Hey kid, nobody is allowed to leave the town," the voice was low and sounded rather old and grisly. Seifer hadn't even realized it but he had almost reached the outskirts of Winhil. "Sense that little girl was killed this morning; nobody gets in or out of the town until the culprit is caught.  
  
"Oh," Seifer said quietly as he turned around and looked at the man, who was in a house and shop, leaning on a windowsill. The man looked nothing like his voice, while yes he was old, he looked gentle and held a smile as if he knew something that Seifer didn't. Seifer began to walk back into the main recesses of the village but the merchant stopped him.  
  
"How's your Greek mythology kid?" it was a rather odd question, a question that made Seifer turn around once more and walk close to this man, until he was shaded by a large willow tree growing two feel away from the house.  
  
"What did you say?" he asked confusingly, scrunching up his eyebrows. Seifer knew certain things about myths, but not much, after all Greece was an extinct place, gone thousands of years ago, though nobody was quite sure how.  
  
"Greek mythology, I just wondered if you knew of a certain character.You reminded me of him, or at least his image in the last of the ancient text."  
  
"I'm not sure I follow."  
  
"This man was a Titan, the Greek God of Light, quite possibly the first light god. Anyway, he had three children, all with extraordinary gifts over certain things; there was Helius the god of the sun, Selene the goddess of the moon, and Eos the goddess of god. I heard this story, translated the text and created something from it."  
  
"Where are you going with this?" Seifer asked suspiciously, the man just smiled.  
  
"I am in the craft of weapon making, my specialty being swords; that lunatic monster hunter has one of mine, but I bet you my shop he breaks it in a year. The thing is, as I look at you I can tell you are a swordsman, you carry yourself in that inexplicable way.And your scar.It is from a blade is it not?"  
  
"Yes.The Lionheart gunblade," the man looked quite surprised and rather angry.  
  
"Gunblade?!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I never made the Lionheart to be a gunblade, that fool Laguna must have remodeled it! Tell me when did this happen? How long has my piece of beauty been turned into this new high tech gizmo?" Seifer immediately knew that he had made a mistake in telling him this, but decided to not answer the man.  
  
"You created the Lionheart?"  
  
"Of course, who else could?! None of these young fools knows a thing about metal and how to work it properly," he looked disgruntled for a moment but then laughed, "You pulled me away from my point you man!"  
  
"You have one?" Sefer asked indignantly, but the man just smiled.  
  
"I know that you are missing your saber.So I have business for you," He paused again, "I have recently restored an ancient blade, one used by the God of Light Hyperion himself," Seifer nearly fell over, could this man have be the creator of his trusty weapon? No, this guy clearly hated gunblades, he would never.That is unless it had been changed later.  
  
"It isn't possible."  
  
"Don't be so sure," the man took the statement in the wrong tense, "This metal is unbreakable, built to last forever.I was once young my friend, and I excavated around the world with my fellow archeologists, we were the best. When we found the ancient text, and the sword, they were locked up tight in a casket of the very same dark metal. The texts have drawings of the sword, and tell tails of its undying power."  
  
"I need to have that sword," Seifer interrupted; the Hyperion was like his only true friend, the thing that was always there for him in the toughest of spots. The Hyperion was the only blade he had every used in his life.  
  
"I had a feeling you would say that," the man's eyes, icy blue, were glittering slyly. He disappeared into a back room, and brought out a very old looking case embedded with gold. He swung open a table on hinges and placed the case on it. Slowly he opened the case and revealed the Hyperion, only different. It was definitely his gunblade, only it wasn't a gunblade. It was a sword, a spectacular sword, but only a sword. The handle was gold with engravings on it, and the gold spread in thin patterns on the dark metal. How many times had this blade been remodeled for it to loose every speck of gold? But it was beautiful.  
  
"How much?" he asked quickly, though he had no money.  
  
"For you, it is free," Seifer looked up at the man after these words in disbelief, "But only for two reasons, one being another myth; it is told that when the saber finds the descendent of Hyperion, the reincarnation of Hyperion, that the full powers are revealed, and I think that, according to the text, you might be the one."  
  
"What is the second reason?"  
  
"The trails you will go though will be most difficult I imagine, and I think you will need all the money you can get."  
  
"Trials?" Seifer was beginning to think that is guy was some sort of crack pot.  
  
"You didn't think that the sword would care about blood do you? The proof of Hyperion is in his suffering, for only Hyperion could withstand the dark times that you will see," his voice became lower in volume, "Then again if you are the god of light, the darkness will always fade away.You will just have to go through hell to receive the light."  
  
"I see," Seifer quickly shut the case and slid it off the table. He looked at the man in a disturbed way, he knew the man must be a complete senile fool, but he was a very convincing senile fool.  
  
"Thanks," Seifer began to walk away to the echoing sounds of the man's laughter, his unbalanced laughter, because at the end of every experience that is how it ends, with laughter, terrifying bone chilling laughter.  
Okay I hope it was worth the wait, I finally got past the details into a little but of the plot. So r/r, and thanks in advance. 


	8. Wisdom of Age

Well here we go, I do not own ffviii Squaresoft does. So r/r and thanks you in advance  
  
Wisdom of Age  
  
Seifer quickly made his way to the house, went up the stairs and hid the case containing the Hyperion. He didn't trust Quistis when it came to things like this, he knew it was suspicious, but she would over analyze it, she would take it too seriously.And maybe that is how he should approach it, but all he knew was in that weapon, the only weapon he had ever wielded truly. Perhaps he should have heeded the warning about the trials, but then again, old men were known to be cynical. Seifer went to leave the room, but turned back almost frightened, and brought the case onto his bed. He paused; debating with himself, then opened the ancient looked case, and inside was his sword, his blade. Seifer felt power radiating from the weapon, as if anything it touched would wither and die, as if he were unstoppable.Then he remembered the little girl.It was him who killed her wasn't it? Why had he been given the opportunity to reclaim his blade at that moment? It was all too convenient, all too well thought out. Being Seifer though, he erased the thoughts from his mind, and swiftly put away the saber, and went down the stairs. As he descended he saw Quistis looking up at the stairway, with a look of defeat on her face.  
  
"No luck?" he asked in a low toned voice. She simply shook her head and sighed. Seifer had never seen her in that manner before. Quistis was the fearless one, the one who never admitted defeat, but now it was like her perfect persona was dying, her mask was cracking into bits.  
  
"Nope, in all those hours of talking to people, nothing," she pulled a seat away from the table and took a seat. Seifer became confused by her words.  
  
"Hours?" surely it hadn't been hours.No it wasn't anything close to an hour or more had it been?  
  
"Yes," she said furrowing her brow, "It is four in the afternoon," Seifer felt a great well of sorrow gather inside him. At least he thought it was sorrow, but then again, maybe he just didn't want to admit fear to himself. Where had he been for those hours? Something wasn't right, something definitely not right.  
  
"I don't remember," he admitted to Quistis, and immediately after, he regretted it. It was as if the words just slipped out of his mouth, the truth was caustic at times, and he had a feeling that this was one of those times.  
  
"What do you mean," she asked impatiently.  
  
"I mean I don't remember the hours that we were gone from this house," he hushed his voice, as if fretting that somebody was listening, "I remember going down that path, only talking to one person and then coming straight back here."  
  
"How is that possible?"  
  
"I don't know.It must have been the man I talked to," Seifer's mind was calculating the events of the past day, but nothing except for the old mans personality was out of the ordinary.  
  
"No," she said quickly, "Everyone in this town is harmless, even the gypsy, she doesn't have her magic yet.We spoke briefly."  
  
"Something isn't right," he muttered to himself, he was actually starting to feel quite warm, and dizzy. Afraid of losing his balance, he too took a seat. After a rather long pause, Quistis spoke.  
  
"How often did you take your medication?" she asked quietly.  
  
"A few times a day...Oh, you think," he suddenly felt very stupid for ever letting it get this far.  
  
"It happens sometimes during withdrawal.It is a new side effect of some medication, it makes the user black out, without really blacking out to put it simply."  
  
"What else will happen?" he asked putting his head on his palms as he internally felt extremely sorry for himself.  
  
"I don't know," Quistis spoke even more quietly, "It usually depends on the person, and the drug they were on."  
  
"Great, not only am I going to die, I am going to die like a junkie." There was another silence, but this time, an awkward one, he knew that he had made her feel uncomfortable, "Jeez, Quistis I'm sorry, this is the last thing you need on your plate, and.Well you have been so good about it, and." she cut him off with a weary smile.  
  
"Shh. I think it would be best if you got some rest, Winhil nights come quickly, and it will be dark soon. Please for my sake, for my peace of mind, get some rest," her voice was gentle and humanlike, much contrary to her teaching tome that she incorporated so often in her every day life.  
  
"But." again he was unable to finish.  
  
"I love your bravery, but this is one battle you will not win," it almost pained her to say so, "Perhaps, it was fait that led us here, a strange roll of the dice, but there are some things we cannot control."  
  
"What are you talking about?" he wondered out loud. She suddenly seemed to realize what she was saying and gave a short laugh.  
  
"I was rambling again wasn't I?" she smiled brightly, but for a moment, Seifer could have sworn that he saw a very downcast look on her face, "Now please go upstairs and rest, you need our strength."  
  
Earlier that day.  
  
Quistis followed the young gypsy after the funeral, to see if maybe she could be of some help. It seemed like the logical thing to do, because if anyone had the power to bring them back to their proper time, surely this gypsy was the one to do it. As it turned out, the gypsy, and her family, owned a little fortune telling shop, which was obviously not there in the future. With hesitation, Quistis entered through the beaded doors into the heavily perfumed structure. There was only one person there, and it was the young gypsy who stood behind the register counter. She smiled a fake smile to Quistis.  
  
"May I help you?" she came out from behind the counter, "Tell me what you desire.A love potion? A charm to ward off evil spirits? No.I know what you are here for, you are here for a reading."  
  
"Umm no." but the gypsy would hear nothing of it, and led her to a very small, dimly lit room in the back of the shop.  
  
"My grandmother is the most talented gypsy of our tribe, she will tell you the truth behind your destiny," and before Quistis could argue, the woman was gone, and within a minute, a very ancient looking lady slowly hobbled into the room. She gave Quistis a look over and then sat down, placing her hand on the table.  
  
"Let me gaze into your palm child," the woman requested in a heavily accented voice. Quistis obeyed skeptically as the old crone snatched her hand to bring it closer. "People say the eyes are the gateway to the soul, but the hands, the hands are the keys, and the knobs to opening that gateway. You trust in Madame Enrokya, she is never wrong."  
  
"Never?"  
  
"Not once," Madame Enrokya looked up and smiled a rather devilish smile that made Quistis feel a bit uneasy, "You have lived many years more than your age.These hands are tired and worn, as if living through many lives already without rest..Hmm..Not happy, never happy before this time.All alone I see.But you are with the one you love."  
  
"What?!" Quistis blurted out almost laughing, "That isn't possible!" but the gypsy just smiled.  
  
"The one with the heart of ice and the fire in his eyes, so dedicated to the last spark before the flame is dwindled. Tall he is, and handsome.Yet he is worn like you are, scarred like you are. You may not know it yet, but you will be with him until his untimely end.So young, so sad. What you seek will be given to you, only moments to late, and you will live with this forever. You are a teacher yes?"  
  
"Yes," Quistis said in a daze.  
  
"You teach and give, and yet you never seem to receive.During your visit, you will receive your worth.A word of warning though.Beware that which lies in the past, for that is what has truly led you here."  
  
"The past?"  
  
"Take care of him my child, for you two are very much the same." she got up from her seat, "I must take my leave now, one of my grandchildren have scrapped their knee and I am needed to mend it."  
  
"But what."  
  
"Don't worry about the payment dear, the next time you see me we'll work something out," and with that she left, leaving Quistis in complete disbelief, and yet in utter confusion. Of course she didn't buy into this did she? Slowly she exited the shop, only to see two little boys running around, one deciding to trip the other, who fell onto his knees, cutting them up and drawing blood. It was too much of a coincidence.But surely she couldn't.Not her and Seifer.He was so.And she was so.It was all so confusing.  
  
Well r/r please, and yeah this chapter probably suck, but I assure you, the next one will rock your socks off, it is after all going to be a songfic. 


	9. The Wolf Always Wins

Well here it is, the ninth chapter! There is some gore, and disturbingness. I do not own ffviii by the by, Squaresoft does, and I give credit to The Sneaker Pimps for the song featured: The Fuel. R/r and thanks in advance  
Chapter 9: The Wolf Always Wins  
  
Seifer obeyed her request and drowsily made his way upstairs to his still lit room. His mind was weary, but his body seemed to be reacting to the lack of medicine; Seifer's whole body was trembling, and yet it felt as if he were in a furnace. Sweat beaded at his forehead as he removed his shirt and collapsed onto the bed. Looking at the ceiling he felt a pain from within, something he had felt before, but was not his illness. Placing the feeling was the hard part in the situation. He began to fidget on his bead, trying to shake the pain and dizziness consuming him. The pain kept growing inside him, making his heart race and echo in his ears deafeningly. A little voice from inside his head spoke, a voice which was not his own.  
  
"You know what you want, you want to taste blood, to hear screams, to smell the flesh as you tear it away.Take it," the voice was the one in his dreams, the one belonging to her. He did not answer her, for he was battling with the pain, and with himself. He wanted it, all of what she said; clutching the sheets he let out a quite cry of pain and frustration.  
  
I've got the fuel in my head from the flesh I need to break sweat, I've got the feeling I might get offence if I might be some threat, Want back doors, want blood on the sheets again, Give me back doors, give me blood on sheets again  
  
The sun was setting and he could feel a monster arising from the depths of his soul. Seifer clutched the sides of his head, trying to calm the noise of his ever faster beating of his heart. There was laughter once more, but not her laughter; the laughter he heard was his own. It rang deep into his mind, mixing with the pounding and his hard breathing. There was no end to it.  
  
"Make it stop," he whispered as he shut his eyes tightly. Seifer's nails dug into his skin, but it went unnoticed. He yearned for the hunt, he hungered for the power of his blade. He wanted to destroy.  
  
I feel the fuel like a fun cutting deep, I want to see you cheap, Like a rose on a bed without scent I need my self-respect, For shames sake by any other name, When the seeds take it grows like weeds and spreads like flames  
  
It was getting worse, the fight was getting horribly violent within himself. His fingertips tingled with the anxious excitement for the lost feeling of a weapon to grip. The two voices in his head were urging him on, telling him to give in, weakening him, taking him over. His own voice, the one laughing, the one which was him, but wasn't, was winning.  
  
"You'll lose this battle," he heard himself say coldly, "Just let me do what I know you want to do.Be a spectator once more, you do not deserve me, you the warrior, you the knight. I am the warrior, I am the knight, and you will lose."  
  
He was broken and gave into the need for bloodshed. Instantaneously, he withdrawled into the shadows, to rest, for he needed rest.Now he was watching.  
  
I've got the fuel but the fuel got me burning me up when it fires again, fires again I've got the fuel but the fuel got me Bringing me off when it cools again, cools again, cools again, cools again  
  
It was like seeing through the eyes of a wolf, as if life was a rapid group of moments, never ending, but all fluent and eternal. The sun had been fading over the horizon for a half hour, and the first stars of the night were appearing. Seifer had the Hyperion in his hand, and managed to creep out the door without Quistis knowing. Children were being called inside for dinner by their parents. Seifer swiftly ran into the woods and leaned his sword against a tree, and headed back. One little girl remained, picking up after herself rather maturely. Seifer said something to her, something he could not understand from his shadowed place. She smiled and followed him into the nearby wooded area where she turned her back to him and looked around. By this time Seifer had found his blade and was getting ready to strike.  
  
He knew what was going to happen, the little girl would die, and he would be the cause. Seifer could not control himself though; he was being controlled by some forgotten or neglected part of himself. The little girl turned and saw her fate, but decided to run from the unstoppable wolf. He could hear himself laugh and walk after the girl in long strides, the Hyperion scrapping against the ground. Every few steps the girl would look behind her, only to see Seifer two steps ways without even trying. He could see the tears streaming down her little face, and he knew that he would end it now.  
  
Taking one giant leap, he close lined her from the back, making her fall face forward. A smile played on his lips, as he stood with his back facing her. He could hear her rustle on the ground, trying to crawl away, but escape was futile. Seifer approached her quickly as she tried to get up, and grabbed her dirty blond hair. Forcefully he threw her back down onto the ground. She cried and cried, and he knew that he loved it. In the shadows he watched the whole thing, ever last detail flashed past him. Striking the girl across the face, standing her up by her hair and slamming her into a tree, where she slumped down too weak and broken to do anything now. In one swift attempt he grabbed her little arm and snapped it savagely. She screamed in pain as her opposite hand automatically went to clutch the broken limb, which was a definite mistake. He grabbed that arm and broke it also, rendering her absolutely helpless; there would be no scratching, no clawing at his skin in this murder.  
  
It was time to get the deed done, and that is where his saber came into play. Some had said, in the future, that the Hyperion was indestructible, and able to cut through anything, he decided it was time to test this theory. It would be a quick death, but a brutal killing. He pointed his sword at the girl's forehead and put all of his weight on it. Suddenly the crying stopped and silence filled the crisp air as he withdrew the blade from her. Slowly he bent down, looking into the girls blank, bloodshot eyes.  
  
"The innocent are the hardest to kill, for they do not give me the satisfaction of a fight," this time the he could hear the voice, for he was speaking too.  
  
I've got the fuel but the fuel got me burning me up when it fires again, fires again I've got the fuel but the fuel got me Bringing me off when it cools again, cools again, cools again, cools again.  
Well, r/r!! I hope you liked it, and if you were disturbed by this story...Good. 


	10. The True Beginning

Chapter 10 is here, and yeah I know it has been a little slow, but trust me it will speed up after this chapter, I just don't want to rush things though, ya know? Well ffviii belongs to Squaresoft not me, blah blah blah. R/r please.  
Chapter 10: The True Beginning  
  
He was horrorstricken as he stood there, in the wooded arena with the body gushing blood into the earth. Her little eyes stared, unblinkingly into his, so innocent, so helpless, it was horribly depressing. Seifer felt his fingers loosen on his sword and then fall, for he was in control once more of his body. The crashing of metal sounded off in the silent distance causing birds to depart from the tree in which they had been watching the whole scene. It took quite a while for everything to fully register in his mind, it was almost as if he were in shock. How could he have done that? Further more, how could he have said what he said? His fists clenched, brows furrowed, he looked to the right, and then to the left, this was a game.Somebody's game, and he was the pawn.  
  
"Why?!" he shouted off into the black woods, turning in circles as he did, "Why did you do this?!"  
  
Laughter.  
  
"Why did I do it?" the laughter from this menace subsided, "Te question is, why did you do it? I'm surprised you haven't caught on by now.Or rather, I am surprised that you deny the truth so much."  
  
"Then tell me," Seifer growled, "Tell me, what is the truth?!"  
  
"You are me, I am you, we are the same person, simple as that.You didn't think that you were being possessed again did you? No, of course you didn't, you knew all along. I am that part of you that loved what that demon made us do, I had been waiting to unleash myself for so long, but you made me stay at bay.I was free, I was happy, I loved the killer mentality we had, and then what do you do? You take it all away from me!!" an unholy pain struck within his head.  
  
"Stop!" Seifer shouted as he fell to his knees, overcome by the pain.  
  
"Do you know what it is like to be chained for 18 years?! Do you have any idea?!!!" the voice boomed, "To have something you have wanted forever, and then have it taken away?!!"  
  
"Stop!" he repeated, clutching the sides of his head in agony, before in suspiciously stopped leaving him breathless and red-faced.  
  
"Of course you don't know." the voice was quiet now, "But you will."  
  
"What do you mean?" Seifer asked trying to regain his composure, but failing utterly.  
  
"Do you think that everything that has happened in the last two days has been a coincidence? Was it just the gypsy? No, not by a long shot, there are others who aren't happy, and that is why I am alive in you."  
  
"What are you playing at?" Grabbing the Hyperion, Seifer rose to his feat cautiously, as if awaiting to be attacked any moment.  
  
"You'll suffer, and I'll get the job done, for you have lost your power over me," he laughed, "I have a list, a real list that I am supposed to follow, but does that mean that I can't have fun too? Maybe I'll start with the Instructor, she does look so beautiful when she is asleep after all."  
  
"Don't you dare lay a hand on her," Seifer threatened his alter ego, but alas, they were idle threats.  
  
"But it won't be me killing her, it will be you; it really is a simple concept, you know, that we are the same person, and yet you make it sound differently. Why shouldn't we kill the blond?"  
  
"We are NOT the same person and I'll kill myself before you have the chance to hurt anyone else," he stood his ground firmly in the matter.  
  
"Your wasting what time we have left, bickering with yourself," he chuckled, "You wouldn't want people to hear this conversation, they might think that you are crazy. It doesn't matter what you say, because when you wake up tomorrow morning, that is truly when it begins."  
  
"When what begins?"  
  
"You could call it a lot of things.But maybe we would call it redemption.Or not," he paused, "You see, this night doesn't exist, you won't remember anything at all. I'll take over my body again, dispose of the evidence, and go back, letting you have the thought of a restful night. Things will get better for you, so very much better, and when they get to the most happy of moments, I'll be there ready to snatch it all away."  
  
"Just for revenge?!"  
  
"No.That was a perk, heh, this goes far beyond revenge, I am just a tool to get you where you need to be for her.She wanted me to show you this, what yo- what we are capable of, to break you, to make you succumb to her plans like you did before."  
  
Seifer didn't speak, he just hung his head in thought and helplessness; it was sad, this life would be the end of him. Escape was impossible, triumph was impossible, help was impossible, surviving with his humanity was impossible. If this was the truth, if this wasn't a nightmare, then what kind of world was he living in? This shouldn't happen, it just shouldn't happen, but he didn't care anymore. It was a new feeling, defeat, and he didn't know why it was such an easy feat to accomplish all of a sudden. There would be no long battle for his mind like before, there would be no need to live like before for he was already dead. Perhaps it was because he had lost the last fight that his confidence was shattered, or maybe it was because he was facing an unbeatable opponent: himself. In the end, Seifer knew that he would be struck down, but this time, it would be for good; this time, he would be freed.  
  
Crawling back into the shadows, he allowed himself to lose control once more, and for the sequences now taking place to be played in fast forward. If one good thing had come from this conversation with himself it was this: He would be happy, if only for a little while, he would be happy and enjoy what little life he had left, and when the time come when that other side of him will rule that which is Seifer, he will fade away, he will die.No, not death, he would slumber. He would sleep in the vast universe of his own mind until the day came when his eyes would open and he would be free.  
  
The wolf in him did exactly as he had said he would, taking care of the body, and then returning to the house. Seifer felt himself obtain use of his body once more as he slid into his bed. Drowsiness overcame him, and all he wanted was to go into a state of unconsciousness, but he heard his own voice one last time.  
  
"You see, by the time this is all over, everything will have circled back to you, and then you will realize the point."  
  
I just love ending with those little quotes that make you say "hmm." Okay, okay I know that this chapter really really sucked, but it was need for the next part of this story where things seem, to be getting better, and then there will be romance, yes, believe it or not, I will finally get to the romance. So stay tuned kiddies, it is about to get.umm.Romantic and stuff.Uh yeah that's the ticket. R/r and thanks in advance! 


	11. The Florence Nightinale Effect

Finally the next chapter, it only took forever! Well here you go romance, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I don't own ffvii either, Squaresoft does, and you know the drill. R/r after please.  
  
Chapter 11: The Florence Nightingale Effect  
  
The day was slowly breaking over the horizon as he awoke from his slumber; he had been dreaming, but he could not remember of what. All he knew was that he was running through a forest, and that was it. He fought to stay in the state of unconsciousness, to go back into that place of blankness where no feeling could reach him. As he began to regain his senses, he new that he was ill once more, ill from his sickness, ill from the lack of medicine, and ill from overwhelm. As he lay there, everything was quite blurry, and he was shivering as he sweat, but something, or someone rather, was there. They were dabbing his face with a damp clothe, trying to break his apparent fever. Seifer was not in his right mind though, he was delirious, and felt as if he were making perfect sense in his mind, but as the words broke through, they were in a whole different language.  
  
Quistis sat in a chair by his bedside, and placed her hand on his forehead, attempting to see if his fever had gone down, but it hadn't. Though sunlight was starting to blanket the small village, hardly any made its way into the room, for she had drawn the shutters closed. As his eyes slowly and groggily opened, she noticed something about him that she hadn't in the past; his eyes were that of the sea, blue with green mixing into the glittering sea. She wondered why she has never seen it before, the uniqueness, but perhaps she only noticed it now because of the color being accentuated by the rest of his eyes being bloodshot.  
  
"Seifer," she said softly, "How are you feeling?" he didn't answer, he was just looked around frantically almost, eyes darting from corner to corner of the room. He tried to sit up, but she pushed him down without effort. "Stay still."  
  
"No.I need to leave.I can't be here,"  
  
"Why not?" she asked calmly, still restraining him.  
  
"Need to find a way.I need to.I.Ugh my head," he brought a very shaky hand up to his face. She took the hand in her and pulled it away from his face gently.  
  
"Shh, it'll be okay," Quistis had never really taken in the structure of Seifer's hands; they had always been gloved before. They seem strong, and muscular, but at the same long. Every little detail of their structure could be seen, making them what she considered "guy hands," because she had never seen a woman with hands such as these. She was suddenly reminded of the gypsy's predictions and felt a terror inside herself. She couldn't have possibly been right, could she? Quistis felt the urge to let go of his hand, but she knew that would be a selfish thing to do. Though they had been enemies on more than one occasion, and he could be an asshole, they still had a certain connection. If you have ever had a person in your life that you grew up with, then you would know that there is always something that makes you in dept to them. Perhaps it is because of the friendship, or perhaps it was just because of the companionship that they gave you, whether positive or negative, it was still a certain something. So she held his hand, hoping to Hyne that it meant nothing. Using her open hand she reached for a glass on the table, and held it up to Seifer's lips.  
  
"Drink this," she told him, "It is an old remedy Matron once made me learn, it will let you have a good sleep, no nightmares like I know you've been having," no sooner had he taken a swig than he was fast asleep once more. He slept a lot now that she thought about it, but he never seemed to retain the sleep. As he slept, she saw Seifer differently, he looked almost angelic.Odd.  
  
Quistis never really had seen Seifer, she had looked at him, but never  
taken in his features, she had been too preoccupied. His face was so  
serious, even in unconsciousness, but, even though she hated to admit  
it, he was handsome. The strong build, the now closed eyes.Yes, those  
eyes; something about them made her feel cold all over, as if they  
told a twisted yet beautiful story. Then there was the scar between  
the eyes, his branding, the mark which would last forever. Maybe she  
just dug guys with scars.Wait, she didn't "dig" Seifer, not in the  
least.Of course not.It was impossible.Wasn't it? She pushed the  
thought far out of her mind and just sat there, trying to contemplate  
different things, like how they would get back to their proper time.  
Quistis knew it wasn't that simple though, the whole situation was  
just too sinister to be revenge, and that thought scared her. After a  
while she too drifted asleep in her chair, and then she began to  
dream.  
  
.She was at a party, it appeared to be one thrown by the Garden based  
on the surrounding. She wore a long white dress with designs of  
sparkly gold on it, and her hair was in a fancy braid. Everyone was  
their, all of the other heroes from the not so distant past, all  
having fun and laughing. Quistis stood by herself on the balcony,  
giving the impression that she was alone and probably depressed, but  
she didn't feel that way. She felt happy, joyous, things that seemed  
foreign to her, and she didn't know why. She heard somebody clear  
there throat from behind her, and she spoke without turning around for  
she knew who it was.  
  
"I was beginning to think that you stood me up," she smirked to herself as the person stepped to her right side.  
  
"Now why would I do that Instructor?" he asked arrogantly. She turned her head to him and started to laugh.  
  
"I don't know, do tell," she liked to play these little games with him.  
  
"I would never stand you up," he informed her.  
  
"Why?" she gave a little smile.  
  
"Because your beautiful, and charming, and would kick my ass if I did," she blushed at his words.  
"Damn straight," she nudged him with her shoulder.  
  
"So let's dance," he took her hand and dragged her out onto the dance floor before she could answer. It was a slow song, consequently, and she leaned her body into his, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. Around her Quistis could hear the voices of shock and amazement, but it only made her grin.  
  
"Can we stay like this forever?" she asked, "Can it always be you and me, like this?"  
  
"It will," he whispered into her ear, "I promise that we will have the happily ever after that you have always wanted."  
  
"Thank you Seifer," she leaned her head upwards towards his, and the kiss was inevitable...  
  
.But so was the morning. Quistis shot up like a bolt from her slumped position. What was that all about? Thank Hyne it was just a dream, and yet if felt so real.No! No, no, no! She refused to believe it, she just couldn't. Quistis was logical, and intelligent, and she would not believe in this foresight bull shit! Either way, a part of her still wondered.Could she be in love with Seifer?  
  
I told you there would finally be romance! And go check out my other story just posted, "My Complicated Life," it is a Queifer, but very very different from this one, my new one has humor of all things. Well, r/r please, and thanks in advance! 


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